Psalm 105:23

Psalm 105:23, in plain English

After Joseph's time, the whole nation of Israel moved to Egypt under Jacob's leadership and settled in the land called Ham. What seemed like a temporary shelter during famine became a multi-generational home.

Why it's here

You need to picture this: Jacob brought his entire extended family—seventy people—into Egypt where Joseph could care for them. They lived there for generations. The 'land of Ham' was another name for Egypt, and Ham was one of Noah's sons whose descendants settled Africa.

Who's speaking

The psalmist, transitioning from Joseph's individual story to what happened to his whole family

Where it sits in the story

This is the moment when God's covenant people became foreigners in a foreign land. They went to survive a famine, but they stayed and multiplied. This sets up the entire exodus story—God's people were now slaves in the very country that had welcomed them.

The scholarly reading

The narrative shifts to Israel's descent into Egypt—Jacob and his family migrated to the land of Egypt (called 'the land of Ham,' a reference to Egypt's founding).

Language and setting

The Genesis narrative records Jacob's journey to Egypt in chapters 46-47, prompted by the famine and Joseph's invitation. The designation 'land of Ham' (Hebrew: *eretz ḥam*) is ethnographically precise—Ham was traditionally understood as the progenitor of Egyptian civilization according to the Table of Nations in Genesis 10.

Voice

The psalmist, now transitioning from Joseph's individual vindication to the communal story of Israel's relocation and what would become their oppression.

Significance

This marks the transition from the patriarchal period into the Egyptian sojourn, the historical hinge upon which the entire exodus narrative turns. The Septuagint's rendering here influenced how early church fathers understood Egypt as a type of worldly entanglement from which redemption is necessary.

21He made him master of his household, ruler over all his substance,

22to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

23Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.

24And the LORD made His people very fruitful, more numerous than their foes,

25whose hearts He turned to hate His people, to conspire against His servants.

Read all of Psalm 105 — From Abraham to the exodus, God's faithfulness is retold as a song. He remembered His holy promise and brought His people out with joy.